Neymar, 31, Brazil, has left French soccer’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to join Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal.
“We have signed Neymar to a two-year contract,” Al-Hilal announced on Saturday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Neymar’s salary is estimated to be in excess of $100 million. The transfer fee is expected to be at least €90 million ($131.5 billion).
The non-salary options are also jaw-dropping. “In the deal, Neymar has demanded eight supercars for himself and his assistants,” according to British publication The Sun. He also reportedly received a private charter plane for his family to travel on, as well as a 25-room mansion with a large outdoor pool and a personal chef.
Neymar is a self-explanatory top-flight striker. He joined FC Barcelona (Spain) in 2013 and made a name for himself before moving to PSG in 2017 for a record-breaking transfer fee (€222 million – $324.1 billion). He scored 68 goals in the Spanish Primera Liga and 82 in the French Ligue 1, and was capped 124 times for his country, tying Pele for the record for most goals in an A-match (77).
“I wanted to challenge myself in a new place,” Neymar said of his move, “I want to make new sporting history, and the current Saudi Pro League has a lot of energy and quality players.”
With Neymar’s arrival, Al-Hilal has built a formidable lineup that includes Leo Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Sergei Milinkovic-Savic. Alhilal has won 18 league titles and four Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League titles. Already the most decorated team in the league and AFC, this summer they invested aggressively with the support of the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (PIF) to further strengthen the team. 안전놀이터
Korean fans will be disappointed with this transfer. After Lee Kang-in’s move to PSG last month, Neymar was described as a “close” teammate of Lee’s. The pair have shown off their friendship on and off the field, leading to speculation about their on-field chemistry at the start of the season. Neymar even played alongside Lee in the Coupang Play Series against Jeonbuk Hyundai in Busan earlier this month, scoring a goal.
Neymar’s departure leaves PSG with the task of rebuilding their attacking lineup. Kylian Mbappe, who has been at odds with the club over his contract, recently returned to first-team training, but his future remains unclear. In the absence of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe, who were the focal points of last season’s attack, PSG desperately turned to Lee Kang-In, Gonzalo Higuain, and Marco Asensio in their first league game on Nov. 13, but they failed to generate any meaningful offense.